Intensely flavored and vibrant red, this jelly bears no resemblance to the stuff in the can —it's definitely worth the effort. Though we call for 4 bags of cranberries, the yield is only 3 cups because all the solids get strained out. You'll be happy if you have any extra cranberry sauce when you make sandwiches with the leftover turkey.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Special Equipment
Step 1
Bring cranberries, sugar, and 3 cups water to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until all berries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into a large fine-mesh sieve set over a 2-quart glass measure or a bowl and let stand until all juices have drained through, about 30 minutes. If necessary, press on solids until there is enough juice to measure 3 cups, then discard solids.
Step 2
Stir together gelatin and remaining 1/3 cup water and let stand 1 minute to soften. Bring 1 cup drained cranberry liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan, then add gelatin mixture and stir until just dissolved. Add gelatin mixture to remaining cranberry liquid and stir well. Pour cranberry sauce into lightly oiled mold and chill, covered with plastic wrap, until firmly set, at least 12 hours.
Step 3
To unmold, run tip of a thin knife between edge of mold and cranberry sauce. Tilt mold sideways and tap side of mold against a work surface, turning it, to evenly break seal and loosen cranberry sauce. Keeping mold tilted, invert a plate over mold, then invert cranberry sauce onto plate.
Cranberry sauce can be chilled in mold up to 2 days.
Cranberry sauce can be unmolded 1 hour ahead and chilled or kept at room temperature.
Leave a Review
Reviews (11)
Back to TopFirst, I need to admit that I will take a can of canned cranberry jelly (shlurped straight from the can with the ridges still showing) any day over whatever fancy-shmancy cranberry sauce one can concoct. That said, I haven't done the canned stuff in years because it's got high fructose corn syrup in it. This recipe was a trilling find for me because now I can make my own jellied cranberry sauce, no HFCS, and next year I may just mold it in a can so I can have the ridges too. Look out. I ended up with twice the amount of liquid (I didn't mind the leftover solids, we have chickens to feed that to, but it might bother some to toss it) and I didn't double the gelatin (or any other ingredient, for that matter)...PERFECT CONSISTENCY. I also didn't have a mold, so I just chilled in in a bowl and scooped it out at the table. Let's remember I'm going for the classy cranberry-sauce-in-a-can vibe. This will always and forever be on my Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner table. Excellent cranberry flavor, perfect sweetness, perfect consistency.
kdmade
Near Philly
12/31/2011
This looks lovely but prefer the taste of a chunkier cranberry sauce.
Anonymous
Calgary
10/19/2008
Not very exciting for the amount of work and cranberries that need to go into it. The pulp from the berries cooked out and mingled with the gelatin to give the sauce kind of an apple-sauce-meets-jello texture that I wasn't too fond of.
codiferous
12/9/2007
Good things about this recipe: 1) It needs to be made ahead, so it's not something you have to worry about on Turkey Day itself. 2) It doesn't taste horrible. Not so hot things about this recipe: 1) The texture is pretty jello-ish, even if the presentation is attractive with the use of a nice copper mold. 2) The unexciting flavor isn't enough to justify giving up the ease of the stuff from a can. I even jazzed it up with the addition of a bit of Grand Marnier. Still nothing to rave about. Too bad! The search for an improved cranberry jelly continues...
Anonymous
New Haven, CT
12/3/2006
今年我做了这个感恩节,been requested again for Christmas! I pressed the cranberries and ended up with about 6 cups of cranberry jelly vs liquid, but that worked out well since we had 2 dinners to attend. The mold was a bit firm, so I will reduce the amount of gelatin by a third and see how that fares. Otherwise it was very good!
dwisel
Fawn Grove, PA
12/21/2005
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner. My husband will never let me buy the stuff in the can again. I used 2 envelopes of gelatin instead of three. I got six cups of thick liquid from the cranberries so I was able to make two molds instead of one. I saved the solids and put them back on the stove, added 1/4 cup brown sugar a little cinnamon, ginger and a few chopped walnuts and so we had two kinds of cranberry on the table. This is a fantastic dish!!!!! I will make this at all future Thanksgivings and Christmases.
zarah
Alabama
12/12/2004
Amazing side dish. Has everything that needs to be a super star.Color, Texture and flavor.It takes time and pancience, you really need to strain well to get all the clear flavor.Fantastic!I'm making again on this Thanksgiving.
brazcook
New York, NY
10/17/2004
I wish I would not have tossed the leftover cranberry solids. The solids tasted much better than the geletin. It was very thick and gooey--way too much geletin. Considering the amount of cranberries the recipe called for, the final output was too little.
Anonymous
Minneapolis, MN
12/28/2003
Not a hit with my guests. Although the taste was good, we found the consistency too firm (almost like a jello jiggler). I followed the recipe exactly but I'm thinking maybe one envelope of gelatin would have been enough.
Anonymous
Buffalo, NY
12/1/2003
Has a slight tartness that cleanses the palate.
Anonymous
Elk Grove, CA
11/30/2003
An easy recipe. However the amount I yielded with was about 1.5 quarts (before adding the gelatin mixture). It was a thicker and more opaque consistancy than I had expected. I also cut the sugar by 1/2 cup. The taste was great, not tart, nor too sweet. The texture was smooth, kind of creamy and thick. I think I ended up with a mass amount because I was pushing/forcing the juices throught the sieve. I didn't have time to wait for it too drip through.
Cynthia
Bloomington, IL
11/28/2003
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